Health Clinic featuring High School student artwork on display

Hohenfels Health Clinic recently partnered with the Hohenfels High School art classes to "beautify" the clinic. Student artwork is now featured around the clnic. This example is "Coburg, Germany" by Pauline Woods, grade 9.

Hohenfels Health Clinic recently partnered with the Hohenfels High School art students to "beautify" the clinic. Student artwork is now featured throughout the clinic. This example is "Krakow, Poland" by Jonathan Whorton, grade 8.

Hohenfels Health Clinic recently partnered with the Hohenfels High School art classes to "beautify" the clinic. Student artwork is now featured around the clnic. This example is "Coburg, Germany" by Pauline Woods, grade 9.

Hohenfels Health Clinic recently partnered with the Hohenfels High School art students to "beautify" the clinic. Student artwork is now featured throughout the clinic. This example is "Krakow, Poland" by Jonathan Whorton, grade 8.

HOHENFELS, Germany -- Patients visiting the Hohenfels Health Clinic may now notice the clinic looks a little more scenic, thanks to a partnership with Hohenfels High School art students.

This is the second year the school and clinic have partnered for the art projects. Fifty-five students in grades 7-12 participated. This year's theme was "Beautiful Europe."

Jenny Davidson and Adriana Saldana, both medical support assistants in the Hohenfels Clinic, were selected by the clinic commander to head up the project.

"We met with the Art teacher at the high school and threw some ideas at her as to what we thought would be appealing to the clinic that people would appreciate looking at, and we all came up with the idea to have students draw their favorites cities that they have visited here in Europe," Davidson said.

Saldana said she thinks the students will be reminded of their accomplishments each time they visit the clinic.

"I think this project will benefit everyone!" she said. "For myself, when I walk down the hall, I walk a little slower to look at the pictures. I try to guess what or where the piece is from. If I have been there, I recognize it immediately. If I haven't, it makes me want to visit even more. Always makes me smile."

Hohenfels High School art teacher Michele Mihanovich-Franz, currently in her fifth year teaching at HHS, said some of her students were challenged at first by the assignment, but were excited once they saw the final results.

"It was the second assignment this school year wherein I required that they use the grid method, which has been used by artists for centuries to create correct proportions," she said. "For my middle school students, it was their first attempt at the grid method and they did an outstanding job for their first attempt."

Mihanovich-Franz said showcasing the students' artwork in the clinic affords the arts an opportunity to enhance patients' lives.

"Data continues to prove that there is a significant relationship between the arts and healing," she said. ?"Exhibiting at the clinic strengthened student engagement in the community, while affording community members the opportunity to see the talents of our students. Exhibiting at the clinic further helped the students learn about maintaining a healthy relationship within the community while helping make it a more beautiful place via their own creations."

The students who participated were pleased with the project assignment and the outcomes.

Alton Day, 11th grader, drew a black-and-white pencil drawing of Blighton, England. The project took him three weeks, starting on the exterior of the building and working his way into the interior with shading.

"I was inspired by the architecture of the place because it was clean and fresh so I could not wait to get started. The place that I drew was a place in England where a Street name is the same as my last name and my last name originated from England."

Senior Brittany Albertson created two pieces for the exhibit; a black-and-white pencil drawing of Trier, Germany, and an acrylic painting of Luxembourg.

Albertson said she took "two weeks and my process included numerous amounts of sketching before touching the final paper. Once the sketching was finished I experimented with colors and after that I sketched on the final paper, lastly adding color to complete the vibe I was trying to portray. The grid method truly helped me organize my thoughts to place the cityscape accurately."

"This project was an eye-opener for me because painting with acrylics for my Luxembourg piece was very difficult," she said. "Painting is not my strongest medium especially with acrylic, but I personally feel it turned out good. I want people to actually feel as if they were in Luxembourg through my painting."

"I went to Krakow last summer and it turned out to be one of my favorite cities in the world," he said. "So I was looking through my pictures from there and found the picture you see.

"It took at least 28 hours to finish. My process was to start with the highlighted places in the picture and I was made to use the grid method, which is absolutely frustrating, but it works."

Ninth-grader Pauline Woods created a black-and-white pencil drawing of Coburg, Germany, which took her two-and-a-half weeks to complete.

"Germany was my first choice for this assignment because I consider Germany my home," she said. "I was born in Coburg and feel like it is a beautiful, colorful and happy city. First I had to find the perfect picture, so I decided why not use part of a picture of the Coburg castle? Next I had to grid my work, which took forever because I think gridding is very difficult. Finally, I started to draw and shade my piece until I felt like it was perfect. It makes me both proud and astonished that this was a drawing made by me and that I had the ability to draw like this. I am very thankful I was given this great opportunity."

Community members are invited to view and appreciate the artwork on their next visit to the Hohenfels Health Clinic.